I'll Be There
by Sarcasmispoetry
Summary: How worse could Mikan Sakura possibly get? Her high-school crush was her first love's cousin. She had a cruel fate and pitied herself with deep sympathy. Poor girl.
1. Chapter 1

* * *

Okay game! I've got a new series..it's actually a story made up from a real story of someone. I won't reveal it until I finish this fanfic. Please read on and drop some reviews (if you're not that lazy) as my birthday gift. So I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing this. It's kinda inspiring.

**DISCLAIMER: Don't mind me if I told you I own GA 'coz I don't have a single chance in owning it.**

**NatsuMikan383 is signing in**

* * *

SUMMARY:  
Mikan Sakura's life changed when she became a secretary in a big company. She met old friends from elementary and high-school and fortunately, works with them. But the biggest shock of her life was≈someone she did not want to see is working in that company. She already gave up her love for him without even knowing that he loves her too. Just when everything seems to be so fine again, she sees her first love with another girl, her first love promised he will wait for her. But now, he broke his promise, but did he really forget about her? Now, who will be there for her?

* * *

**_We started as friends, but something happened beside me.  
_a line from the song 'Obvious' by Westlife**

**I'll be there **

**Chapter One: My Past Life**

It was a fine morning in the city. A 23 year old woman was on her way to her hundredth job; a secretary. When she graduated, she became a computer encoder≈but guess what? She just resigned! And why? 'Coz she's bored! Argh.  
she's a girl who has difficulties in deciding what she wants...

Then her next job was a fast food cashier. But she got stressed with too much order slips so she quits. The next job was a singer in a club, she had a nice singing voice, but unfortunately, the government closed it down for some damn reason; for widening the road etc. Her next jobs varied from a construction worker to a taxi driver. Finally, she decided to be in a stable job. Her name≈is Mikan Sakura.

"Damn! I'm late for work in my first day!" she said while she honked her car horn repeatedly. The traffic isn't working with her either. And after 10 minutes, it started to rain. What an unlucky girl. "What? It's raining? Oh no!" she said. "Okay okay, calm down...you can catch there in time. Just like the old days..." with that statement, her mind went back to the past.

**FLASHBACK.  
**"_Grandpa, I gotta go. I'm almost late for school!" the 11-year old Mikan said and hurriedly went out of their house. "Take care, granddaughter..." her grandfather replied and waved goodbye. "Buh-bye!" she said before riding in a public bus. Her grandparents never had much money to let her into a private school, so she took the only choice; to commute. While she was in a bus, she glanced at her watch...6:45...Gosh, my teacher's gonna kill me! She thought as she tapped her foot impatiently. _

_Suddenly, a voice she knew came to her ears and said, "Late for school?" She was a bit shocked by hearing his voice from the back seat but somehow she felt better. "And how about you? You're late, too...Natsume" she sarcastically replied and raised an eyebrow. He just smirked and looked away. Just when the two entered their campus gate, the bell rang.  
_**END OF FLASHBACK**

"Yeah, that was long ago. And now I wonder...what happened to Natsume-kun?" she said to herself. Natsume Hyuuga was his whole name, are you wondering why she can still remember? Because, HE was her first love. She started crushing on him since 5th grade when she was crying for some reason (she can't remember) and he comforted her. Though in an insulting way, but at least he tried to cheer him up.

I know it's such a small reason to like him...but that time, she needed a friend≈a true friend. And so he came. But because of her innocence, she never thought it could be anymore than a crush. When she went to 6th grade, she accidentally told him that he was her crush on 5th grade.

Since then, he suddenly always sticks with her. He always teased her to get her attention, and he always scare off the boys who wanted to be close with Mikan. Of course she didn't noticed that until one day, she just found herself always thinking of him, always stealing glances at him, and worst≈she felt her heart jumping whenever he's around. I mean, he everyone dislike him for being so cold, so at first she denied her feelings until it leaked out from her. And she finally admitted to herself that she loves him≈but no one ever knew. However,a promise was made┘she still remembers that time┘

**FLASHBACK**

It was a time when someone just asked some piece of paper to Mikan and Natsume was extremely jealous. He approached the boy. AndSLAP!

"Iinchou, are you okay?" Mikan asked the boy. "Yes, I am all right," he said and covered his cheek where the furious raven-haired boy just slapped. The brunette, who was very angry by now, turned to Natsume. "Natsume-kun, why are you doing this? WHY?!" she said, almost in tears. But the raven-haired boy smirked and went towards the door. When he passed by Mikan he whispered, "Meet me at the Sakura tree after classes and I will tell you"

For the rest of the day, Mikan couldn't help but wonder why Natsume was doing cruel things to her all this time. After classes, she headed to the place where the ruby-eyed boy had said they will meet. And he was there. He stood up.

"Mikan...forgive me, I'm such a fool" he said. The brunette was bewildered. "Huh? Why is that?" she asked. "I always try to get your attention by teasing you. I always become jealous whenever there are boys who come near you" he hesitated momentarily which gave her the chance to speak. "Why are doing those things?" she asked, still as dense as ever.

"It's because...I love you" he asked with a hint of sadness in his tone of voice.

* * *

**What happened? How did Mikan react that led to a promise? What was the promise? All the answers are on the next chap hopefully. I haven't edited it yet but at least I already encoded it. So it's up to you to click that GO button below to give me a review or just press that Back button up there if you dislike the story so much. Now what do you say, up or down? BTW, flames are very welcome, I know I need some improvement. But please don't give me too much flames or else I would catch some fire! But good reviews are highly appreciated, so please give me some! Ja ne... **

**NatsuMikan383 is signing out**


	2. Chapter 2

Wow! I got 5 reviews just for the first chap! I never thought you'd like this...please continue reading and read some of my other fics too. Especially the one entitled 'Express yourself day' and all the other stories I have written. So just sit back, relax and read what Mikan's reaction was.

**NatsuMikan383 is signing in **

* * *

**_Sometimes I feel like the world is against me, The sound of your voice...that's what saves me  
_a line from the song 'Us Against the World' by Westlife **

* * *

**I'll be there **

**Chapter Two: My Old Friend **

_"What? Is that why you did all of that? That reason is unacceptable!" she spat. "Do you think it was my choice to love you? Didn't you know it was hard for me too? We're too different from each other and I stayed by your side all the time. I know you love me back, I can feel it...and everyone can see it" Natsume said. Mikan's eyes widened. Was I too obvious? she thought. _

_"Don't act like you know everything about me. Because I never...said...that I love you" what she had said broke his heart but he tried to be understanding, in exchange of Mikan's patience of his attitude. "I understand if you don't admit it now.  
I will wait for you but by the time you're ready, I'll be there," he said. _

**END OF FLASHBACK**

"Hn. How childish. And I even expected him to wait for me? How was he supposed to remember his promise when he doesn't even remember me anymore" she said while she looked outside the car window. It's still raining. Fortunately,the jam slowly moved and she went straight to her office.

When she was outside her office, it was still raining and she forgot to bring an umbrella. ⌠Oh.my.gosh. I left my umbrella in my apartment!" she screamed inside her car. So she had no choice but to walk in the rain. She loved the rain, but not this time. As she entered the office lobby, she was soaking wet and everyone in the room stared at her. She hated to be the center of attention, and embarrassment.

"Excuse me miss, I'm Ms. Sakura, the new--" she was about to say she's the new secretary but she was cut off by the girl behind the information desk. "I know a lot about you...Mikan-chan" the way the girl said her nickname was different,  
as if they knew each other a few years ago. When she stared at the girl, her face was really familiar, and it struck her. It turned out to be her long-lost bestfriend from high-school.

"Anna-chan!" she screamed on top of her lungs. "Mikan-chan!" the girl behind the desk said and they both embraced which caught the attention of the people in the lobby. The two girls giggled like high-school girls. "You've gotta tell me what happened to you" the brunette's friend whispered and dragged her to the girls' comfort room.

"What happened to your life? Look at you...you look like fish out of water, literally!"Anna asked when she noticed that Mikan was soaking wet.

"(laughs) Oh, I'm just a little bit out in the rain today"

"So you still like the rain until now? Makes you remember of him?" her friend playfully nudged her in the sides. The tangerine-named girl blushed. HIM? she thought. If you're thinking HE is Natsume, well, you're wrong.

"S-sh-shut up! I said I already forgot about h-him" she stuttered. She remembered that she told Anna about her crush on this guy in high-school. But she never knew if he liked her too...she was out of confidence...and he was a heartthrob. She thought she will never have a chance on him. One thing that's also interesting≈she and that boy were once bestfriends!

"How could you forget about him? He was your first love, first heartbreak, and first kiss!" her friend blurted out. Mikan blushed harder. Her first kiss... A stabbing pain in her heart came back to her. It wasn't so long ago so her memories with HIM still seem like yesterday.

"Oh no! I forgot, the president of the company wants to see you as soon as you arrive" Anna said and dragged her outside without giving the blushing girl a chance to speak. "By the way, what was HIS name again?" her old friend asked while walking to the elevator. She hesitated a bit but managed to say his name when they were waiting for the elevator.

"Ruka Nogi" she shortly replied.

Anna's eyes widened. "What?!"

* * *

Sorry to make it so short, I had some trouble setting up the plot because some characters maybe too OOC and I'm afraid you will hate me for that. But anyways, at least I updated! Thank you for the huge response once again...really,  
I was thinking that I won't continue it but because of your reviews I decided to go for it! And hey, I changed the title 'coz of some reason. Don't worry, you'll find out soon!

**NatsuMikan383 is signing out**


	3. Chapter 3

Waaaaaaaahhhh...I uploaded the wrong file last night...!! Gomenesai!! I'm really sorry...hehe...promise never to do it again. Anyways, this chap's title seems weird, right? And whenever I read it I can imagine a close encounter with aliens. Well, I always see them everyday. For example, my classmates. You know, you could really visit our school. Several species live there and so does the extinct ones. Haha. Okay, just ignore me. On with the story!

**NatsuMikan383 is signing in **

**_If you can't fight the feeling...surrender in your heart.  
Remember...LOVE will set you free.  
_a line from the song 'Try Again' by Westlife **

* * *

**I'll be there **

**Chapter Three: A Close Encounter**

During the elevator ride, she noticed that her friend kept silent. _Something must be bugging her...what? Maybe Ruka and her had a relationship? Or, they're boyfriend and girlfriend now? But what if their married?_ Her mind was filled with what-if thoughts until she walked out the elevator. She couldn't take it anymore.

"Why did you keep quiet all of a sudden? Just tell me the truth, even if it may hurt me!" Mikan confronted her friend. The pink-haired girl smiled and said, "We're here in the president's office. The truth won't hurt you, I promise. I think finally, you'll have a stable job...here..." then her friend opened the door.

Just when she entered the office, she smelled a familiar scent. She saw a man standing at the corner of the room, looking at the window. When the man turned to see her, her heart skipped a beat. It was HIM. That was the meaning behind Anna's words. She will indeed have a stable job...here, with HIM.

He ran towards Mikan and hugged her, so tightly. She was shocked, but overwhelmed. "Mikan! I missed you a lot!" he said. It was Ruka Nogi.

SILENCE

She blushed. He's been hugging her for a long time. She wished this moment will last forever but she remembered that something...a reason that she has to go away from him. "Uh--I can't breathe--"she said, her voice was muffled. He quickly let her go and apologized, "I'm sorry, I really haven't heard of you since graduation. And you never kept in contact...are you ignoring me? he said.

"You're still frank, huh? Well, I'm not really ignoring you..." she paused. He looked straight into her eyes. "...just teasing you" she added and smiled. "Oh, I really missed your smile! By the way, how are you?" he asked. "I've changed," the auburn haired girl said. "Oh yeah? But I know you still remember this..."he said and started tickling her in the sides. He really knew where to tickle her. She pulled away but still chuckled. "Of course! Mind you, I have a very good memory," Mikan said jokingly. "Wow! I thought you were already retarded" (a/n: Too OOC of Ruka, right? Saying mean jokes to Mikan...that's why I'm confused!) he said and began tickling her again. "No, stop it!" the cheerful girl said while struggling until...they both fell flat on the floor. Ruka was on top of Mikan.

Heartbeat--heartbeat--heartbeat (Can be DOKI DOKI DOKI, right?)

She can't say or do anything. He looked into her eyes and he slowly leaned in closer, eyes closed. No, I won't let him steal a kiss from me again! she thought. "No!" she thought but she it wasn't long before she realized that she spoke it aloud. He stopped leaning in and stood up. "I thought you enjoyed my kiss when we were young..."he said teasingly.She got up and said, "Shut up, animal boy. Don't assume that--" but he cut her off.

"Na-uh! Nogi-sama--I'm your boss remember? And you're just my secretary" he emphasized the word 'my' which made her blood boil. "So? It doesn't mean that you own me," she replied. (a/n: Mikan is such a sarcastic girl here)  
He raised his hands like surrendering to a police man and smiled. "Okay, you win...I surrender!" he said. She mocked him and he just smiled. A different smile. Different from long ago. But her thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of a cellphone. It wasn't just ringing but...singing!

_You don't ever notice me, turning on my charm..._

"Uh--that had to be my phone" he quickly said before digging his hand in his pocket to get his cellphone and stayed at the corner of the room. Those lines and that song! He can still remember it? she thought as she knew that the song was a memory from long ago. She asked him if he can relate to the words of the song. But that time he said no, what made him change his mind?

"Hello?" in a distance, she still can hear his voice. "I'm here in the office," he added. "No, I've got a meeting this lunch," still talking to the phone, but this time, he glanced at her that made her jump a little. "Okay, bye, _love you too_," he finally said before putting the phone down. Mikan noticed that he just whispered the words 'love you too' and now she's paranoid again.

"Sorry, it's just a short phone call. Don't worry," he said, like reasoning out or more like explaining. "Whoa there, I'm not your girlfriend or anything. Why do you sound so defensive?" she asked. _Yeah she's right, why did I sound so defensive?_ He thought.

"Uh--nothing! That was my mother" he said. "Ok..." she replied. "Can I take you out for lunch later?" he suddenly asked. "Sure," she replied. "Of course you'll accept it 'coz I'm your bf" he said, it was a trick to tease her. "Yeah, you're my bf, meaning: best friend," she replied. (a/n: OMG! She's smart! OOC alert!) "Right, I meant that," he smiled sheepishly."So what's my first task?" she asked. "First, I'll tour you around the building and you'll try to familiarize this place," he said.

"Hey, do you know Anna Umenomiya, the clerk behind the information desk?" she asked as he stopped into his tracks. "Yes, as the president, I should know every employee in the company," he replied. "Did you know that she was my bestfriend during elementary? I mean, I never thought of seeing her here!" she said happily. Jealousy took over him and said, "So...she's your new bestfriend? And you'll just trash me out of your life? Unbelievable..."

She looked at him and smiled. "Oh, just look at my bf, he's sooo jealous! Don't worry I won't cheat on you, promise!" she mockingly said and laughed. He smirked. "Don't worry, even though you're a mad man I still love you..." she said.  
He leaned again closer. "Really?" he asked while his face was only inches away from Mikan's face. "Yes, as my bestfriend!" she cheerfully blurted out. He sweatdropped as he pulled away, trying hard to hide his disappointment.

Both then proceeded into touring the company. While touring, some employees were puzzled because their president won't usually tour a new applicant around the building if there isn't any close connection with him. Never mind them.

The last destination to their tour was the info desk, and that means, Anna will tease her a lot afterwards. "And this is the information desk. I bet you know who's the clerk 'coz she's your friend," Ruka said and smiled to Mikan. "You mean my bestfriend..."she teased while he pouted. _"I thought I was your bf?"_ he said softly that what he said was inaudible but unfortunately, it seems that the pink haired girl heard him.

"Good morning Nogi-sama and Sakura-san. For the last six months that I've been working here, I never thought my elementary bestfriend was my boss' girlfriend" Anna teasingly said. Of course it's not a question, it was somehow a statement. They both blushed while Mikan's old friend smiled proudly.

* * *

Oh yeah! It's a pretty long chap! (only for me) Hehe, don't be mad if I have short chaps, anyways, I know you hate long chapters, ne? It's pretty obvious...I HATE long chapters too! So I'll see you around and review more! Thank you again,  
for the nice response. I never thought it was a big hit. But it was. Also, I wanna tell you that this was based on another story, made by me of course, and I just transposed it to GA style. That's why I had some difficulties in setting the plot. I know you really don't like to hear my litany so I'm giving you peace!

**NatsuMikan383 is signing out**

* * *


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm really really sorry about uploading a wrong document last time. I'm just born to be clumsy, that's all! Anyways,  
here's chap 4...please please enjoy it and if I may add...please REVIEW!**

**NatsuMikan383 is signing in**

* * *

_**Maybe tomorrow you'll say that you're mine...  
And you'll realize, I can change...  
**_**a line from the song 'Maybe Tomorrow' by Westlife**

* * *

**I'll be there**

**Chapter Four: The Lunch Date**

But before he can notice that she was blushing too, she thought of a way to get out of the predicament. She suddenly bursted to laughter. "What? Ruka-pyon? My boyfriend? No way!" she said without thinking, just for the sake of staying off the topic. Here you go again, you're hurting his feelings again a little voice said from the back of her mind. She glared at her friend which was the cause of such trouble. Then she looked at his reaction to at he said, and it was the saddest expression that she had seen of him. "Hey, why are you sad President-sama? Don't worry, she's just saying that to stay off the topic but the truth is…she—" Anna attempted to spill that Mikan liked him but she covered her mouth before saying so.

Ruka's face brightened. "The truth is?" he asked, excitement was present in his voice. "Uhmm…the truth is, I'm just hungry that's why I'm saying some rude things to you!" she spat. He was disappointed once again but he hid it inside him. _Why am I feeling so down? After all, she just treats me as a friend…_he thought. He forced a smile and said, "Don't you remember that I'll treat you for lunch?"…with this, he offered his hand to accompany her. She hesitated a bit, she glanced at her friend who was saying 'Go!' before finally taking his hand. And they walked hand in hand towards the parking lot. The people that they passed by really suspected they're a couple which made her blush.

_We're holding hands…we never did this before even though we were bestfriends. It's my fault too, why did I accept his hand in the first place? _She thought. On the other side, he was feeling a bit happy to hold her hand. But still  
he didn't realize yet what the reason was. _Why does it feel so good that I'm holding her hand? Back in high school I  
would've declared that I'm in love with her. But now..I don't know what I'm feeling!_ He thought.  
Finally, they reached the parking lot and his car. She let go of his hand and said, "It seems that you own this  
car," while pointing to the Black convertible. "Of course," he replied. He was sad that their hands had to part. But he  
can't do anything about it. "I thought you liked pink?" the brunette asked. "Yes I did, but I've changed too," he said  
before ushering her inside the car, opening one door for her.

"Wow, at least you've got a nice car," she commented. He glared at her. "What, do you want to eat lunch with  
me or not?" he asked. She smirked. He flashed one of his strange smiles again and entered the car then started the  
engine. "Good," he said and drove off.  
During the trip, he can't stand to sit there without talking to her and now she's quiet, that's quite weird. It's  
been years since they talked with each other. He's gotta think of a good subject.  
"Um…you've got any suitors?" he suddenly asked, attempting to involve her in a conversation. Mikan looked  
at him with disbelief and replied, "Of course! In fact, they're lining up in my door," she looked at him, waiting for his  
reaction.  
"Oh really? And what kind of people are those, the blind people?" he joked.  
"No, most of them are actually rich and handsome—"  
"Like me?" he said and smiled oddly.  
"I'm not done yet. I mean, they're normal people and you're not" she said with another smirk. "Yeah, you really love to  
hurt me, right?" he said and pretended to be offended. She laughed at this. She really missed moments like these. But  
something at the back of her mind is stopping her to get close with him again. Her laugh faded and said, "Actually  
there's this one guy…" her eyes had a glint of loneliness.

He looked at her. "A guy?" he asked in curiosity. "Yes, actually he's my first love…but we were too young…  
and I chose to concentrate on my studies. And sadly, we had to part," she said and a solitary tear fell from her glassy  
eyes. Ruka didn't notice the single tear which fell from Mikan's eye because of the dim lights. What if that guy was me?  
No, that's impossible. But it can happen, right? Tch. What am I thinking? She only treats me as a friend, nothing more  
he thought.

"Was this guy your classmate during high school?" he asked, for some reason, he hoped she'd say yes. "He  
was my classmate in elementary," she replied, teary-eyed. He felt needles pricking his heart and he didn't know why.  
He patted her back tenderly. "I'm sorry I asked," he apologized and drove to a luxurious Japanese resto. She loved  
Japanese food, and he knows that.  
After ordering the food and waiting in the same time, Ruka decided to ask more about this guy. "Hey," he  
started. "Hm?" she replied as she looked around to see random people already enjoying their lunch. "Do you still  
believe that you will see him again?" he finally asked, he couldn't wait for her answer. "Somehow, but practically, I won't  
expect a miracle like that to happen," the brown-eyed girl replied. "What if…" he trailed off, hesitating to say what's on  
his mind.  
"What if what?"  
"What if someone courts you from high school?"  
"Honestly, after graduation, Mochu courted me but I didn't accept him," she said and smiled to herself as she remembered the gifts that guy gave her. That guy was rich, you know. And he gave everything to her just to have her love. One time, he gave her lots of chocolates, designer clothes and bags, everything she wanted! But she isn't a material girl so she refused him.

"Mochu? That bald friend of mine?" he was shocked and asked. But inside of him, he felt relieved yet again,  
he just ignored it. She nodded and laughed. "But you two never got along, right?" he said unbelievably. She smiled  
again. It's true; she and that guy weren't even talking to each other back then. But what a change of heart, it turns out  
that Mochu was secretly admiring her from the distance.  
Their conversation was interrupted when the food was served. Sushi, rice balls, siomai and more—she was  
delighted to see so much food on the table. He felt happy Then they started eating, yum!  
He started talking again and said, "So where do you live now? Are you still living with your parents in that tiny  
house?" he asked. "No, after I graduated in college and got a job, I rented an apartment just down there at Blue  
Avenue," she replied then gobbled up a rice ball. Interesting he thought. "Can I visit you there sometimes? I mean, as  
bestfriends?" he asked nervously. "Of course, but if you'll do, make sure you've got some food," she joked.

He looked at her in disgust and said, "You and your enormous appetite," he said. She heard this and  
stopped eating. "I'll take that as a compliment," she said and began eating again. He laughed as he really loved seeing  
her eating like that. She said she's changed, but I can't see any difference, she's still the Mikan I knew he thought. And  
he didn't realize that he was staring at her for a long time. She noticed and said, "What are you looking at?"  
"Nothing," he shortly replied. She finally realized that he's trying to get her in a conversation so she started  
off her big mouth—I mean, she started to talk.  
"So what made you think that you wanna be a big computer company president?" she asked and finished  
her meal. He smiled, knowing she just got his message. "After high-school, I just found out that my father has started a  
small business in New York so he enrolled me to a college near there for me to take care of it," he said. "Wow…" she  
said.

"And when you enrolled there, what happened with you and Hotaru? I heard that you were still courting her up  
to third year high school but you stopped when you reached fourth year," she inquired eagerly. "I don't know, it's just…I  
got tired of waiting," he said. "You know, you will regret that. Just like me, I didn't wait for him because I thought he will  
find another girl. And now I regret for ever letting him go…" she said. He looked at her while his heart crumbled into  
pieces. Why does it hurt everytime she talks about that guy? It's like I'm hoping that I was that guy…he thought.  
"I know I won't regret it, if I let her go, at least I have you" words quickly came out from his mouth; he never  
thinks before he speaks, but somehow those words seem so real. She just smiled as she knew that there was no  
meaning from any of his words. She thought he had said it to cheer her up. "Yeah, you have me as your friend, then  
your bestfriend and lastly, your secretary," she said and smiled. He laughed lightly. And silence fell on them once more  
until both had finished their meal. They headed back to the company and Mikan's life will never be the same again.

* * *

**Nice. Now I uploaded this chap, I hope you'll forgive me for my mistake. Please continue to support me or else I might  
have a second thought of deleting this fic...if nobody appreciates it. And mind you, I still got many fics to continue so...  
maybe I may do that. Gah, sorry to blackmail you, I don't have any bad intention of offending you.**

**Still, a million thanks to Yapau-chan, Roselyn Sanchez (haha) and Charsner, for giving me an inspiration and crazy  
ideas. Gosh, they're really an expert in humor, they're like an open humor book! HA!**

**Last three words: PLEASE REVIEW! (that's 3 words 'coz the exclamation point is counted as a word. Pls. ignore me)**

**NatsuMikan383 is signing out**


	5. Chapter 5

**Okay, I'm back! Due to public demand, Natsume is going out in this chap! Hehe...so thanks for those who are supporting my fics though I'm not much of a good writer. Sorry to bother you by the quotes or lines of certain songs at the beginning of my chaps. Just tell me if it bothers you that much and I'll stop putting it. I'm simply an obsessed fan. Please do enjoy and don't forget to REVIEW!**

**NatsuMikan383 is signing in**

* * *

**_You must have had a broken heart, to love me the way you do  
_ ~~a line from the song 'You Must've Had a Broken Heart' by Westlife~~**

* * *

**I'll be there**

** Chapter Five: My First Love**

The next day, Mikan woke up feeling good as ever. It was another workday. And take note, it was with HIM. So she went to work wearing a big happy smile. She let her hair down and her work uniform suited her perfectly. She was driving her light yellow pick-up car when the traffic light lit an irritating red signal. It means stop. She tapped her hand impatiently on the steering wheel to kill time. When she was really bored in waiting, she looked at the car beside her which was a red convertible and a handsome raven-haired man sat in the driver's seat. She stared at him.

'He seems familiar. Raven-hair that's quite messy...crimson eyes...that famous smirk!' she said in her mind while taking in every detail of the raven-haired stranger. 'No, it can't be...'

"Natsume?" she thought aloud that caught the attention of the man in the driver's seat. He smirked. "Why, yes...I don't quite remember dating you but...have we met before?" he said as he looked back at her lovingly. Her blood boiled with anger to what her childhood friend's reply was. "Well, we really haven't dated before but we--" she was about to say that she's Mikan Sakura and about everything in the past when the traffic light changed the red signal to green.

"I'll see ya around, sweetie..." he said with a flying kiss before he sped off."Grrrrr!!! Who does he think he is? Well, he was the first one to confess to me before...and now--" but before she could swear more...she was interrupted when the car behind her honked its horn. She looked behind and just rolled her eyes. "Okay, okay, I'm trying to get out of your sight!" she said through gritted teeth and started to drive.

When she arrived in the lobby, Anna greeted her with a smile. "Good morning, Mikan-chan! Did you sleep well last night?" her old friend said. "Yeah, I dreamt of castles and a happily-ever-after. And when I woke up, I was in back to being Cinderella" Mikan sarcastically replied. "What's up with you today?" Anna asked while her expression softened. Mikan sighed before saying, "Oh Anna-chan, I saw Natsume on the way..."

"Natsume...you mean, Natsume Hyuuga? OMG, What did he say?" the pink-haired girl almost screamed in excitement. Then the auburn-haired girl told her what happened. Anna couldn't help but laugh. "He said that? He didn't remember you?" she asked. "Yeah..." Mikan said in a disappointed tone. "All this time I always regretted my mistake and wait for him and for him, it was just nothing!" she added. Anna patted her comfortingly. "I'm sorry..." she said and hugged Mikan. "Thanks, Anna-chan. I gotta go, the president's gonna be mad if I'm late," the brown-eyed girl said and bid goodbye to her friend.

She headed to the elevator and there surprisingly, she saw Natsume, again. "Oh it's you again..." he said with a smirk when Mikan had entered the elevator. "What do you mean it's me again? Don't you remember me, Natsume? It's me...Mikan!" she said almost in tears and shook him by his arm. Confusion was clearly visible in his face. "I...I'm afraid you mistook me for someone else. I've never seen you before we met this morning" he said coldly, put his hands in his pockets and pulled away from Mikan's grasp. The tangerine-named girl simply bowed her head down and looked the other way.

'Why? He didn't even remember my name...and he said he will wait for me...I already told myself to stop believing in his promise but...I just can't!' she thought to herself while she silently sobbed. On the other hand, 'Who is this girl? Why does she know my name? I swear to God that somehow she's familiar but...I think I never really met her. But why did feel something strange with her touch?' Natsume thought to himself. As if on cue, the lift opened and Mikan hurriedly stepped out.

"Wait!" the raven-haired guy called out as he stopped her by grabbing her arm. "What?" Mikan said coldly and without looking at him as a result of not knowing how to act in front of him. "Since you know me...could you do me a favor?" she heard him say. "Yes, but please do hurry...I'm almost late" she said, still not looking at him. "What's wrong with you? Just a while ago you were close to tears when you're talking to me and now..." he said as he ran his fingers through his messy hair that Mikan couldn't help to look at him.

"Because you're not what I expected to be and please, don't beat around the bush" she said formally while avoiding his gaze. "Okay, I want you to tell me where the president's office is" he replied. "Did you set an appointment? Did you--" she was about to interrogate him but he raised his hand to make her stop and said, "Yes, I did everything needed to speak to the president"

"Well, follow me" she said and hurriedly walked to the direction of the president's office. She was walking briskly and Natsume was trying to catch up with her. "Hey, slow down there. I'll remind you that you're guiding me to the president's office so it will be you responsibility if I get lost," he said. "Well I wasn't obliged to do this because you asked me a favor!" she said irritatingly and stopped walking to face him. "Hn" he replied. She rolled her eyes and opened the door leading to the president's office. "Here you go..." she said and gestured towards the open door. He looked at her while smirking and said, "Asta la vista, baby" before he finally entered the room. Mikan angrily shut the door and slumped down her swivel chair.

"Long time no see...my favorite cousin, Ruka" Natsume said. "Natsume!" the blond-haired boy said and the two boys shook hands. "What extra-ordinary force brings you here?" Ruka asked and looked straight into the raven-haired man in front of him. He simply smirked.

* * *

**Oh no! What's the meaning of this? Natsume and Ruka are cousins? And why did Natsume visit Ruka? Why didn't Natsume remember Mikan? How will Mikan react when she finds out that her first love from elementary and her high-school crush are cousins? So many questions to ask...so just tune in and watch out for the next chap! And don't ever forget to review!**

**Toodles!**

**NatsuMikan383 is signing out**


	6. Chapter 6

**Oh, damn. I'm sincerely sorry for making you wait for, like, forever. There's some changes in my main plotline because of certain occurences in my inspiration's experiences. Really, I decided to take a break writing this because the only words that pop up in my mind for the past months were very gory things. I don't want to ruin the story, just because I'm feeling down. So I'm making a deal with you my dear readers, if I get at least 5 reviews for this chapter (flame or praise), I will continue writing this thing. Sorry if it sucks right now, I'm really feeling morbid these days...review please...**

**NatsuMikan383 is signing in **

* * *

_**Some people want it all, Some only want the fun  
But I wanna tell you now that I'm all about the love...  
~a line from the song 'Drive' by Westlife~**_

* * *

**I'll be there**

**Chapter Six: Don't Forget to Remember**

"Long time no see...my favorite cousin, Ruka" Natsume said. "Natsume!" the golden-haired boy said and the two boys shook hands. "What extra-ordinary force brings you here?" Ruka asked and looked straight into the raven-haired man in front of him. He simply smirked.

"What? Did you hurt your head again?" The blond's tone softened.

"No. I'm completely fine. I just wanted to give this to you..." Just then, Natsume handed him a white scented envelope. "What's this?" Ruka asked curiously, eyeing what his cousin just gave him. "Wedding Invitation. Be there," the crimson-eyed boy simply replied as if it was the most casual thing to say at the moment. His cousin's mouth hung open as his cerulean orbs increased in size with shock.

Ruka gasped, "What?" The raven-haired lad broke into a satisfied smile, getting the expected reaction from his close cousin. "Uh-uh," was Natsume's solemn answer. "And oh, flies can enter your mouth anytime with your current expression, you know," he added jokingly.

Slowly, Ruka sealed his lips. He opened the envelope and read the words carefully engraved in it. His stare was disapproving when he looked up, "With Luna Koizumi?" The boy whom he was talking to responded with a nod. "But why? You only met her last month, when she saved you from the accident. But if this is your way to thank her--" the ocean blue-eyed boy was about to babble on but Natsume raised his hand to stop him.

"It's not just that. She's the one I've been waiting for in years. She had that necklace, the one I gave her the day life tore us apart," The dark-haired boy reasoned out with distant eyes.

He hesitated for a moment, before admitting, "She's my first love..."

President Nogi suddenly threw a laughing fit. Wiping his eyes, he uttered incredulously, "First Love? I thought you didn't believe in those things. You can't even have a stable girlfriend, and now you're marrying? To the girl you're calling as your..."--he formed two quotation marks with his hands--"...first love? Natsume, this is something you don't joke about, this is tying your knots to the person you want to be with forever," He chuckled lightly. "Maybe you just hit your head so hard that you're trying to pull off this crazy stunt."

"The logical mind has nothing to do with the feelings of the heart," Natsume contradicted, his face blank. Ruka smiled gently at his raven-haired cousin.

He said, "Yes it does. Because love can build a bridge between your heart and mind..."

An awkward silence followed.

All the time, one of the two young men was glaring as to the fair-haired guy was grinning like crazy. Someone had lost their sarcastic match for the first time; Ruka was really wiser in the matters of the heart. But, not all the time.

Three knocks from the door was all it took to break the tension. "Come in," says Ruka, now focusing his eyes on the door. A brunette head popped out from it. "Um...sorry for interrupting any..."--Mikan glanced at the ruby-eyed man--"...uh, meeting or whatever. But the board is waiting for you in the conference room, sir," she said, now facing Ruka.

"It's okay, Ruka. I was leaving anyway..." Natsume interjected and he nodded towards his cousin like saying farewell then walked out the room.

The brunette silently huffed as the raven-haired boy passed by her. "What's wrong with him?" she mumbled, noticing the boy's sullen expression. Natsume...why don't you remember me?

She looked down to force back the welling tears. When she looked up, her gaze rested upon the blond boy, the boy whom she offered her whole love to secretly, and she never felt was returned. Her high-school love, Ruka Nogi, who was now staring off to space, made her wonder what was on his mind right now.

**Ruka's POV**

_Natsume._

What ever really happened to him? After that accident, he changed drastically. Long gone is the playboy who always went around, sleeping with every girl he seem interested in, then dumping them when he get's bored. At least that's the good part of this situation, and there wasn't a heartbreaker in town anymore. But perhaps his 'turning a new leaf' thing is overdone. He never goes out of the Hyuuga mansion except when he visits Luna.

That girl...whatever did she do to him that changed him into something...not him? Yes, she have saved his life but there's something about her that makes me uneasy and dubious in an unreasonable way. If I voice out my observations, the people around me would definitely laugh at me. Especially Natsume. Because she's the heroine now. I can feel that I'm missing out on something important. I could recall vividly that unfateful day...that was barely a month ago...

**[[FLASHBACK]]**

It was 8 o'clock in the evening on a typical Saturday night. My phone vibrated along with my favorite song of all time...its title was 'Obvious' sang by Westlife. Hey, it's not what you're thinking. It's not like I'm into boybands or anything, it was merely because...because of Mikan Sakura. I can't believe I'm blushing now! It's been too long since I've heard from her. I was going to ask her phone number during graduation but she told me she didn't have a cellphone. What a kill joy, right? Anyways, I fished out my iPhone (I needed it mainly for business) and answered the call.

"Hel--"

"Ruka, what the heck?! What took you so long to answer the damn phone? I'm running 60 miles per hour here, with my other hand on my phone, do you want me to get into any--" He almost choked for saying all that in one breath. From the other line, I heard my cousin inhale a sharp breath and exhaling 's what you get when you don't breathe in between sermons.

"Natsume? Still there? I'm sorry,okay?" I laughed briefly. Sorry, I got carried away by my thoughts of my High-school crush. Um. Yeahh.

"Ohhh...I get it, I'm very sorry for disturbing your fun night, Ruka. I just wanted to tell you something but since you're busy..." he trailed off, his words sounded so malicious that though I can't see him, I can imagine the bastard smirking right now.

I rolled my eyes, "What do you want in this time of the night? Aren't you supposed to be bar-hopping right now or something?" I skeptically asked.

"Hn. Whatever. I'm personally coming over, so just chill and I'll be there in a sec." With that, he hung up. No wonder many people think he's arrogant. Well, he is arrogant. He didn't even let me chew in a bit what he was saying. What did he say? He had something to say? Hmm...maybe he found this cool bar with the pretty girls and all. Then he'd drag me all the way there, while all I could do was whine like a little kid throwing tantrums. Typical. He done it before, he could and would do it again.

I started working on my business plan on my laptop as I waited. I finished the task within no less than 30 minutes. I had nothing to do and felt boredom creeping out on me. So I switched on my flat-screen TV, scanning the networks without even bothering to look at it. It was just to satisfy my boredom.

My eyes shot wide open when a familiar picture of someone I know flashed across the screen. My mind went to shock as the reporter narrated the happenings. I couldn't move, I just stared at the TV, picking up words like accident, car crash and...

Natsume Hyuuga.

I bolted up the moment I heard my favorite cousin's name, grabbed my car keys, and raced towards the hospital mentioned in the television where he was currently treated.

When I arrived outside the Emergency Room, I saw this girl whose t-shirt and capris pants were covered by crimson blood, sitting in the waiting area. From the first time I saw her, I felt this huge dislike towards her, whatever the reason was. She looked up to me, her unfriendly eyes looked annoyed. "Are you that raven-haired man's relative?" she asked me. "Yes, what happened? How bad is he hurt? How are you involved in this accident?" Out of concern, questions suddenly flowed out of my mouth. She arched an eyebrow at me.

"The doctors are doing everything they can to save him," she informed me stiffly. And with a dramatic pause, she stated, "S-Sorry. It was I who caused this fuss. I--I was drunk, and I wandered off. And then..." Her eyes feigning horror, she stammered on purpose. And she bursted out in crocodile tears, her head in her hands. I wanted to snort at the moment, at the false gesture. I hate scheming witches...

The door flung open and the doctor appeared. At first, he just stood there, as he eyed the bloody girl. What? I'm not English or British. I don't even live anywhere near Europe. I meant it literally! His gaze then switched to me. I gave him a questioning glare as he seemed to get the message then marched right to me.

"I'm sorry for making you wait. Are you the patient's relative?" the man in white asked. Who the hell cares who I am if my cousin is in the Emergency Room, dying, and the one who's supposed to be helping him to stay alive is right here in front of me, asking stupid moronic questions?!?

I gave him a look that gave him the idea that he was stating the obvious. If I was gay enough, I'd say, "Duh!"

The person who probably was a med student nodded slowly in understanding. The irony. "Oh. We're doing everything we can now but he lost a lot of blood, his blood type is A, which is quite rare--"

The witch interrupted the dense professional. "I volunteer to be his blood donor!"

Dr. Dense and I seem to be in the right terms as we simultaneously jerked our heads towards the girl like she was some mental retard. "Whaaat?" we said in unison, distrust floated through the single word. She was sorta confused about our reaction but nevertheless proved her point. "I'm a type A," she shrugged.

The rest was history, and Natsume Hyuuga was never the same before.

**[[END OF FLASHBACK]]**

"Sir, the board said something about discussing business proposals and, being punctual..." Mikan prompted me, snapping me back to reality. "Uh, right," was all I could say. She raised a delicate brow at me.

"Are you okay, Ruk--uh, I mean, sir?" she asked me in a distressed voice. I forced out a smile from my lips to reassure her, I hated to make her anxious, especially if it's about me. "Of course, why wouldn't I be? You're here beside me" My mouth betrayed me once again. She shook her head in disbelief, "Nice alibi but you can't fool me anymore, Nogi. Now do you want me to kick your butt out of this room or you can walk out yourself peacefully? Your choice, not mine."

I chuckled, amused by her threat. She really haven't changed. At all. "Hai, hai," I walked out the door meekly. Whoa, seems like our role have been interchanged. I was supposed to be the boss here. I'll show her...

**NORMAL POV**

A flaming red convertible smoothly halted in front of a big, white Mansion. A boy with messy jet-black hair with mezmerizing ruby eyes was on the wheels, while an auburn-haired girl with dull brown eyes rode sat shotgun. The boy opened his car door quickly, he was apparently annoyed. Luna was seriously getting on his nerves right now for having such ambitious demands for their wedding which is gonna be in 3 months' time.

At first, he was happy that he found his long-lost love. But now...she acts like an obnoxious fangirl, far from the girl who always knows how to start a slanging match with him. A vision of a brunette girl who was smiling innocently at him with her twinkling chocolate brown eyes flashed through his mind. Who is she?

The stupid girl, who was still inside the car thought that he would open the car for her. She waited for 5 minutes but he outside, and was tapping his feet with impatience, which also was written all over his handsome face. She sighed inwardly. She thought when Natsume found her, he was her Prince Charming. She thought he'd take her away on a white horse and live lavishly in a castle of her own. And he would be a gentleman, taking her to romantic restaurants, candle light dinners, giving her sweet crimson roses every morning...but none of her fantasies ever came true. But for her consolation, he was rich. FILTHY RICH. And she's gonna use it to make all her daydreams come true.

Luna sighed and rushed out of the car, slamming its door with extra force. Natsume's brow twitched at her rough actions but her face remained emotionless. "You're still not gonna introduce me to your parents?" The raven-haired lad asked when she finally got off the car by herself. He was frustated, he can't even ask the girl's parents for her hand in marriage. What made him more curious was, the girl never let him in her house. He was starting to get suspicious about her unreasonable behavior.

She was caught off-guard by his question but managed to shake her head and think of an acceptable excuse. "Um. Like I told you before, they were out of town. But their business outing was extended because of some......uh, problems. So they're not here right now." Luna lied. She shifted her gaze at the marveous sight before her.

She had lied to him that this is where she lives to impress him. Well, she doesn't live in the huge estate but rather, she scrubs the toilet, wash the overlapping laundry, clean every room....in short, she's a maid. But hell, she's not gonna tell that gorgeous raven-haired man who is her fiance. Since she rested her eyes upon him, all she felt was a magnetic reaction. She found herself needing him, and...lusting him. And all it took for her to captivate his heart was her necklace...

And the alibi about her parents away for a business trip? Of course, still one of her string of lies. Truth is, they were long dead, leaving her with her younger brother alone in an impoverished squatter's area. "Tch, call me as soon as they arrive," he said flatly. "You didn't even buy me a cell phone, so how could I call you?" the girl with russet hair complained. Natsume rolled his eyes and said, "Yeah. I'll buy you one soon."

Luna Koizumi jumped up and down excitedly. "Yay! And make sure it's an iPhone, okay?" she looked straight into his burning crimson eyes. It was a huge mistake for her, as she found herself losing her grip from Earth and her mind drifting to her occasional daydreams about him.

Just then, he faced her and looked straight into her pool of amber eyes. Filled with excitement and unexplainable joy, it seemsed. But there was something wrong in it. Her eyes were...shallow. Unlike those deep chocolate eyes before. He didn't feel anything, too. There wasn't that old spark anymore. Everything was senseless for him. The stone-faced man asked himself, "Do I really want to marry this girl?" He had never doubted like this before. He thought Luna will complete him, but ever since, he felt broken. Because of too much had changed between them. Still, he wanted to save this relationship.

The auburn-haired girl broke away and unconciously fiddled with her necklace which had a pendant that looked like a half-heart. He held her hand and tilted her chin. "Sorry..." he whispered affectionately. She looked up, "For what?" He pulled up his own necklet that looked almost identical to hers. He put their pendants together. It formed a full-shaped heart. "No need to ask. But I won't run away from you. I promise."

The corners of her mouth twisted into a smile. "Really?"

He caressed her cheeks and said, "I told you before. I'll be there."

She closed her eyes and felt the warmth of his hands send shivers down to her spine. Her heart beat accelerated that she ended up breathless. "Thank you," she mumbled. With that, Natsume kissed her forehead. "Goodnight" he muttered before he went back on his car and sped away into the dark streets. Luna was still stunned by his sudden sweetness, her heart couldn't stop thumping. She turned into a small alley in the corner, leading to her true crypt. Her brother still wasn't home, off in his own business. She plopped herself on her unkept sofa bed.

_Can this be love?_

**

* * *

**

I revised it a bit so of course it's confusing. But I think pipz here would be smart enough to figure it out themselves. Sorry if it's kinda bit mixed up. The things will be cleared up in a chapter which is seen in Luna's POV. So watch out for that if you want some explanations. Anyway, I apologize again for making you wait (that is, if anyone was ever waiting.) That was all for now, if you have time, read my other fic entitled 'Maybe Tomorrow' and be kind enough to leave a review.

**Yeah. See ya.**

**NatsuMikan383 is signing out. **


	7. Chapter 7

**O-kay. It took a long time for me to update this, as you can see. Well, I've been busy with American Idol and HSM3 ;-D But anyways. I was bored, so I decided finishing this so to the people who's enjoying this, whoever you are, and from wherever you are reading this chap, this is all dedicated for you. Credits to my reviewers, too. Sadly, I don't have the time to respond to your reviews, but if you're confused about something, you are free to ask me. I would spare some moments to answer them. Sigh. I suck.**

**DISCLAIMER: I kinda forgot to put this on my other chapters. Oh well, I guess you'd have common sense to know that I don't own Gakuen Alice? To prove my point, I'm not even Japanese. Or half-japanese. **

**NatsuMikan383 is signing in**

* * *

_**Love, has never been good to me Maybe it's just my destiny to live my life alone  
~~a line from the song 'Love Crime' by Westlife~~**_

* * *

**I'll be there**

**Chapter Seven: Who is She?**

The work day was drawing to an end at 7:30 PM, as the employees of the Nogi Technologies Company were already bustling out of the building, wanting to go home. A certain blond boy with ocean blue eyes had just come out from the conference room. He barely survived. Business nowadays is falling due to the world financial crisis. He had just given a chance to prove his worth as the president of the company. He had to find a way to up their sales, as what the board directors had suggested for him to do. He was also reprimanded him for being late, when urgent matters were in need of deliberation. Well, what could he do? Nobody's perfect.

_**"There's someone out there for me I know she's waiting so patiently......"**_

He fell heavily unto his executive chair and clutched his head with his hand. Ugh. Now he's having a terrible headache. He closed his eyes, trying to catch some sleep after his hectic day in the office. He started wondering on where his secretary at times when he needed a--

"Coffee?" A familiar feminine voice made him open his eyes.

That's exactly what he wanted. How did she know? Wait...._who?_

He smiled at her when she had put a cup of steaming coffee on top of his table. Mikan's auburn hair seemed so glossy and soft that perfectly matched her beautiful chocolate-brown eyes, he couldn't help but notice. Ruka gladly took the mug and sipped the warm liquid; he never realized how much he needed it until he was already drinking it.

"Arigato, Mikan-chan," he told the brunette.

**_"Can you tell me her name?  
This life long search is gonna drive me insane...."_**

Now if you're wondering; what kind of sane person would want to drink coffee in the middle of the night? Well, that's Ruka. He is a little bit eccentric when it comes to beverages. On a rainy morning, he would prefer a Smoothie over a cup of Hot Choco. While on a humid day, he likes to gulp down hot drinks. And there was only one girl who knew all about this. Jackpot! None other than his bubbly brown-haired bestfriend.

_**"How does she laugh?  
How does she cry?  
What's the color of her eyes?  
Does she even realize I'm here?"**_

"No problem, sir," she replied curtly, which made him chuckle. She raised a brow on him, silently asking what was so funny about it. He shook his head, "Why are you acting so formal? We're the only ones left here..." he smirked weakly. Mikan blushed when she realized that what her boss had said was true; they were the only ones left in the whole floor.

She decided to change the subject and asked about how the meeting went. "It was...stressing, honestly." He had answered, before he closed his eyes once again. "Um. If you don't mind Ruka, can I ask you a question?" the brunette inquired reluctantly. His cerulean eyes came into view again, as he opened his eyes, startled by the girl's sudden change of tone. She seemed....serious.

To lighten the conversation, he playfully said, "Well, you just did." Mikan opened her mouth to speak but closed it again. After a moment of silence, she (finally) realized her mistake, (a/n: did you?) then giggled. "Right. Sorry 'bout that. Haha. I'm a freak," she mumbled to herself, bowing in abash. "Forget about it, what do you want to ask me?" the blond was curious about what her question would be. Actually, the suspense was killing him. And he loves his dear life so...

_**"Where is she? Where is she? Where is she?  
Where is this beautiful girl?"**_

The girl with shiny brown locks fumbled for words, "Uh. You know, I just wanna know....um. If, uh..." Ruka looked up to her expectantly. Seeing this, she gathered courage (and her voice) to utter a simple question that she was itching to know his reply. "How are you associated with Hyuuga Natsume?" _Why did he forget his promise? Do you know why he had absolutely no idea of who I am? Or rather, of who I WAS to him?_ There were so many questions racing through her mind, but she realized she can only ask one question at a time. Or else someone would get suspicious....

She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't notice that she was already spacing out. The blue-eyed boy watched her, wishing he could read what was on her mind. The question she threw to him was hanging, like there was something more to it and that her life was depending on it. He wondered why after all the times they had spent as bestfriends, he never found out that the girl he had been secretly crushing on knew his favorite cousin. Why is she asking about him? He mused to himself.

A mental picture of Mikan and Natsume, walking around the park with their hands entwined, suddenly popped out from nowhere. And he shook it off immediately to avoid the feeling little needles pricking on his heart....

_**"Who is she? Who is she? Who's gonna complete my world?  
La da da da da da da.  
La da da da da.  
La da da da da da da...."**_

"He's my cousin." He answered flatly.

_So they were related_, she thought. She almost laughed at herself. How worse could she possibly get? Her high-school crush was her first love's cousin. She had a cruel fate, she pitied herself with deep sympathy. Poor girl.

"Why?" though he tried hard not to sound so eager, he still sounded a bit inquisitive. Mikan's eyes became distant._ What was she thinking?_! Ruka went paranoid in his thoughts. _Could it really be....? _

_Great._ Now she had to explain to Ruka why she was asking about his cousin. "Nothing major. We were classmates back in grade school, though," she shared. There's nothing wrong to keep some details from my boss and bestfriend. _Like Natsume's broken vow....._

_**"I'm staring out of the sky  
Praying that he will walk in my life"**_

The blond boy raised a brow. "Really?" he blurted. "Maybe it really is a small world...."

"Yeah," the brunette responded, smiling pensively. Because no matter how big the world is, she had to find a nice job with her old crush as her boss, who had you-know-the-boy-who-just-forgot-her as his cousin. UGH!!!

_**"Where is the man of my dreams?  
Yeah yeah, I'll wait forever how silly it seems..."**_

But in the depths of her heart, she hoped, that Natsume was just doing a prank on her. In that case, she will simply think it's not funny and be mad at him for a while. Sulk around, like a little child. The other half of her feared that the man she learned how to love had forgotten her through time. And that promise was one of his childish games.

Thinking about it, she found herself upset about the fact that she believed him. They were kids! What hurt most was, she waited, still waits, and will forever wait for him. No matter how silly it seems. (She believes they're soul mates.)

What was with her far-away answer? Like her mind was flying to other places....the blond had observed how she answered. He then thanked her for the coffee in a way that she won't jump, and told her that she should be going home by now. It was past office hours. Mikan looked at her weirdly, then asked, "Don't you need company? If you want, you can talk about anything to me." He was silent. "You know, catch up with my old friend's life or something...."

_**"How does he laugh?  
How does he cry?  
What's the color of his eyes?  
Does he even realize I'm here?"**_

Ruka replied, "No thanks, I don't really need someone now." He stared right into her amber eyes, and mysteriously added, "Do you?"

This caught Mikan off-guard. _Did he notice? What could he possibly know? Did he even care?_

Yet again, an eternity of questions filled her mind.

When she was a child, she acted purely on impulse, not thinking how her actions could affect other people. But she grew up in a fast-paced world where every day, you meet different kinds of people, that would get involved in your life. That's why she started to think things through before doing something. That's probably why she over thinks a lot, too. "O-kay. Good night, Ruka," she gave in. She shifted her weight uneasily before turning towards the door.

_**"Where is he? Where is he?  
Where is he? Where is this beautiful guy?"**_

Mikan saw in peripheral vision that he simply nodded in response. But when the brunette was about to reach for the door knob, he spoke, "Oh. And can I have your number? You can see mine on the business card so it would be fair if you give yours, too." Her heart froze. HE'S ASKING FOR HER NUMBER??? What? When? Where? Who? Why? Maybe he'll call her? She discarded the idea; it was too impossible. Was it really? She was frantic that her mind couldn't from coherent thoughts anymore. Her whole system went ruckus. _What in the world is happening here?!_

"I mean, it would be useful in our works, you know, stuff. Especially that you're my secretary," he quickly added.

Disappointment washed over her. Of course! There's nothing personal between them, it's just a boss-and-secretary thing. She was JUST his secretary. But she wanted to be more than that...then how about_ Natsume_?

_**"Who is he? Who is he?  
Who's gonna take me so high?  
Where is he? Where is he?  
Where is he?  
Where is this beautiful guy?"**_

She was now torn between two guys that she had fallen in love in the past. One unexpected twist; they were of the same blood. Cousins, actually. Stuck in the middle of the road, thinking, should she go back? Or cross the other side? Is she were to push forward, to Ruka, who is in her grasp, they were still worlds apart, since they didn't really run on the same circles now. An executive and his office assistant? No way. On the other hand, if she came back to where she started to love, nobody's home to welcome her warmly. She would embrace thin air and would feel like she was fighting for someone who isn't there. Since Natsume had (purposely or accidentally?) forgotten all about Mikan and the promise he had made.

_**"Who is he? Who is he?  
Who's gonna take me so high?  
La da da da da da da,  
La da da da da,  
La da da da da da da....."**_

She swiftly got a piece of paper in her bag and wrote down her cellphone number. She gave it to Ruka and said goodbye. She drove home that night, crying, scolding herself for loving two men at once. She entered her solitary room, took a quick cold shower to clear her head, dressed up, before she laid down her fluffy bed. Staring at the ceiling, she discovered that the most difficult thing in her situation was to choose.

Who did she love more?

_**"There's someone out there for me....."**_

A raven-haired man stood by his transparent glass windows, overlooking the sleeping city. Minutes ago, he just had a conversation with a detective to investigate his bride-to-be. Natsume was really baffled about why everytime he brought up Luna's parents, she would always say they were away or she would change the subject. So he was now out to solve the puzzling mystery of his 'first love'. He was going to know ALL ABOUT Luna Kouizumi before he makes the biggest mistake in his life; which was to marry her.

At first glance, you would think Luna and Natsume are meant for each other. They looked like a perfect couple. Everyone adored about how they contrast each other. Natsume being the bad boy, while Luna as the sweet but sassy girl. They will wed on a dreamy garden wedding that many respected icons would attend to. Then, they will have lots of kids, and live happily-ever-after.

Capital N; capital O. **HECK NO.**

In reality, SHE was a demanding, moody, manipulative and vile witch. She wants a fabulous wedding, a stellar bridal gown, 20-layered wedding cake, reception in a tropical beach, honeymoon in Europe, talk about EVERYTHING! I warn you; Luna Kouizumi is a gold digger. Bad thing is, our handsome hero had no idea about this. As they say, "Love is blind." He thinks he loves this girl very much that he chooses to ignore the wrong things she had done. No, I think the saying should go like this; "Love is not blind. It sees, but doesn't mind."

It was already midnight; the devilish prince still lies awake under the starry sky, mulling over things before he does. He had insight on the problems that came his way, he was smart, but because of the word 'love', he breaks all the rules and do what his heart says. Au contraire, is this really what his heart desires? To marry his first love, whom he loved as a growing child, but _now_ he barely knew?

_**"I know she's waiting so patiently....."**_

Meanwhile, a restless maiden arises from her bed chamber and decided to visit her terrace. Mikan Sakura looks up the sky, awed by the constellations, and the silence it brings with it. "There's someone out there for me," she tells herself. If she couldn't choose, then she would just give herself a consolation; there will be that one man that will be destined for her. She surrenders her doubts to the dark heavens, and lifts up all her worries, anxieties, and even pain. She used to do this often when she was a young girl. It made her feel alight.

_**"So patiently.."**_

Natsume stared at the buildings far away. He closed his eyes for a minute, and visualized everything that would happen after he married. He saw himself as a family man, working every day and night just to earn money for his children. He saw one big happy family, enjoying a picnic at a nearby park. But he saw a different girl, not the girl he intended to imagine. He saw a beautiful girl with deep chocolate eyes. The soul he'd been looking for. Different from the materialistic woman he was about to marry.

He opened his eyes, and instantly he knew that the mystery girl had something to do with him. And he had met her before, way back in the past. She was so familiar, as if he knew her since they were babies. His head started to pound, probably because he was thinking too much.

A vague memory flashed in his head. He saw _her_, sobbing silently in her seat. As lonesome as she could get, nobody bothered to ask what her problem was. Nobody cared; except for him. He fished out a hanky from his pocket. He hesitated if he should give it to her or just ignore the thought. And for once in his life, he was so nervous to approach a girl. It was supposed to be the other way around. He didn't know how or when, or why, but he suddenly found himself wiping away the crying girl's tears with his handkerchief. He heard a voice; it was in between an adult's husky accent and a child's pitchy sound. He realized it was his own voice, during his teenage years, "What a crybaby. Here, I'll wipe those annoying tears away so you'd stop being a nuisance." She looked up, but he couldn't see her face, everything was blurry. But she had the brightest smile he ever saw....

And then he woke up. He was back to his condo unit, staring off to the unknown.

Only one question infested his head...._"Who is she?"_

_**"Can you tell me her name?"**_

On the other hand, Mikan decided to go back to bed since she thought it was useless to obsess over two people that she had to choose over in the near future, if ever. She laid herself on her bed, just to see her boring ceiling. She thinks she's an insomniac or something. Or simply edgy. Minutes later, she was absorbed in counting the cracks in the wall. Now she wonders--what if the man destined for her is neither of the two men she's in love with?

_**"Can you tell me his name?"**_

Meanwhile, Ruka Nogi works overtime at the office, tinkering some files to and making sure he's focused. Still, perhaps the uncanny silence somehow caused it, his mind would wander off to a girl that goes by the name of Mikan Sakura. Ever since she walked in his life once again, he secretly watched her. A simple flick of her hair would catch his attention, her genuine smile not even addressed to him would make his heart flutter. No matter how corny it sounds. Love_ is_ corny. _So that means..._

_**"How does he laugh?  
How does he cry?  
What's the color of his eyes?  
Does he even realize I'm here?"**_

After half an hour, the brunette had gotten tired of the game she made. The deed was supposed to tire her to sleep, but it made her more alert instead. She seldom has time for herself, so why waste it? Shutting her eyes, she remembered her first day in High-school. Everything was new to her; everyone was a stranger to her. She entered her classroom discreetly, careful not to catch attention. The feeling she had that moment was imprinted in her mind and heart forever. That moment she saw HIM. Ruka Nogi; silky blond hair, mesmerizing aquamarine orbs, along with that carefree smile. He was everything she wished to have.

It wasn't surprising that they got along well; he was easy to be with. She could be herself when she's around him. It was just a matter of quarrels, reconciliations, secrets shared, and time spent that they became the best of friends. There was no need to announce it, there was that mutual feeling. Often times, when he acted sweet and gentle around her, she took it as part of his 'friendliness'. Unbeknownst to her, he meant it more than that.

_**"Where is she? Where is she?  
Where is she? Where is this beautiful girl?  
Who is she? Who is she?  
Who's gonna complete my world?"**_

Mikan's boss still didn't finish his job. There were so many papers to sign, proposals to consider, and it was making him anxious. Though this was his passion, he couldn't help but feel exhausted, too. He sacrificed hours of good sleep just to impress those stupid board directors! Now he was starting to regret for ever letting her go....home. (a/n: Note the double meaning :-D) After hours of working, he found himself sleeping on his desk, with no intention of getting up and going to his comfy home. There, he dreamt about a girl with a sunny smile......

_**"Where is he? Where is he?  
Where is he?  
Where is this beautiful guy?  
Who is he? Who is he?  
Who's gonna take me so high?"**_

The auburn-haired girl was half-asleep now. And a memory, turned into a dream. One day, just one unfaithful day to break a friendship as strong as theirs--an accidental kiss happened--it was the best and worst thing that she ever experienced. She wasn't expecting it, she was a heroine in a certain play, and he was the leading man. While rehearsing one of the scenes, she tripped on her costume (which was a long gown) and they tumbled over each other. No kiss would've happened if Ruka didn't close that tiny little space between their lips.

It was magical, but wrong. She knew deep inside that if this would go to her head, it will make her ask for more than friendship from him.

A day after the mishap, he started ignoring her. It stretched on to weeks, months, and so on. Rumors started around the campus that she did it on purpose, and she was called names like bitch or something like that. Ruka told her to ignore the people; he said they were just jealous. He never really told her the reason to why he leaned in for them to kiss. She ignored it and remained by Ruka's side.

When Ruka started dating girls, she couldn't help but be jealous. But she never got the guts to do anything about it. It killed her inside to see him flirting endlessly with whiny cheerleaders, and feel how big that gap between them had become. She noticed that he now chooses his jock friends over her. She never complained a bit. Instead, she just approaches him if necessary, but if he needs her as a friend, she'll be there.

Until they graduated. She was glad her suffering was over. Not a word was spoken, not a look she received. It was a clean break. And in the end, it turned out, that he was everything she couldn't have.

She woke up shaking, as if the pain long-gone was revived by the dream. She felt like her broken heart was forced to come together. She felt like she was falling apart. Everything was so real that she thought that she had went through all of those dark times all over again. Why should she continue loving the man who had caused her so much torture in her emotional strength? But then she envisioned Natsume's puzzled expression when she told him her name. He didn't know her anymore. What kind of stupid person would love someone who broke the promise he had made in which she didn't even approve of?

_Ugh, ugh, ugh._

This was making her crazy.

A catchy tune blared from her cellphone, which was situated on the bedside table. She flipped it open and found the word "Calling..." and an unknown number. She looked at her alarm clock. It was three in the morning. WHAT?!

Lying down once again, after realizing she was still sleepy, she pressed the button to answer the call. "Hello?"

A monotone voice of a female said from the other line, "_Mikan, it's me_."

**WHO IS SHE???**

* * *

**Whew! I'm done. Oh God, I just checked the clock in my computer, and it says 2 am! See how I love the readers around here? It's because they're just a few of you so each one is special for me. If you're too lazy to leave a review, let me know you are existing by adding my story to your Story Alert. If I get lucky, I hope people will click that button down there that says "Review this Story". Better do the latter or else.......I'll feed you to my pet crocodiles!**

**XD XD.....Just joking. Anyways, the song that inspired this chap was "Where Are You?" By Justin Romano ft. Soluna.I really love this song. As you can see, I've provided you with the lyrics but I DON'T OWN THE SONG. I only like Sue in Twilight, not sue as in talking about law. Another character will be added in the next chappie so better watch out for that. After that, next would be Luna's explanation to everything. Got it??**

**Just to let you know, this is just a build-up chapter. I couldn't think properly so instead, I just want to give you a sneak-peeks of what the characters were thinking. I hope you enjoyed this chap.**

**Toodles, everyone!**

**NatsuMikan383 is signing out**


	8. Chapter 8

Only one review for the past chapter. Sigh. Thanks, anyways, Yoyo-chan, for cheering me up with your encouraging words. I will soon post a chapter that would explain everything you want to know. Better stay tune, so you won't get left behind. Thank you, thank you! Coming from the bottom of my heart. I hope you keep reading this story, and my amateur writing skills won't bore you. Sorry for being a pessimist, I just can't help it. I'm not usually like this....

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Gakuen Alice. I mean, whoever in this site do?

**[[[NatsuMikan383 is signing in]]]**

* * *

**_I'll always look back as I walk away This memory will last for eternity.  
_**~~some lines from the song 'Queen of my Heart' by Westlife~~

* * *

**I'll be there **

**Chapter Eight: The Past is Catching Up**

Lying down once again, after realizing she was still sleepy, she pressed the button to answer the call. "_Hello_?"

A monotone voice of a female said from the other line, "Mikan, it's me."

Her forehead was scrunched up in confusion. The voice sounded oddly familiar, but she couldn't point out when, how, and WHO. What kind of person would call in such an ungodly hour?! A stalker, maybe? Or a terrorist coming to bomb her for some unknown reason...? Who knows? Such thoughts are purely out of her over-imaginative mind. What an eccentric brain she has, in that reason.

"Excuse me, who are you?" her voice was slightly shaking, and she was trying to conceal the fear she was feeling at the moment. It's just a wrong number, it's just a wrong number, she repeated to herself. But then she realized that cover-up had a hole--the mysterious caller knew her name!

A bitter laugh came from the other line. "I'm not surprised. You're still the same," the cold voice said. "You seriously don't recognize me?" This made the brunette baffled even more. Huh? A moment of silence passed uneasily. Now why does she feel that once in her life, she had been accustomed by the bluntness of the woman's voice? Hmm. Just...who could it be?!

_Anna?_

No, no. That friend of hers was probably snoring in her bed right now.

Think harder.

Ding!

Mikan's face lit up in excitement, as realization finally dawned on her.

"Hotaru!!!" She had said the name a little too loud. Somehow she had forgotten that people were still snoozing in their beds, off to their dreamlands. "Idiot. Don't shout, you're waking all my neighbors," the voice reprimanded in a blank tone. "I can hear you three meters from my phone so stop screaming before my ears start bleeding."

Mikan ignored her friend's statement. "How have you been? What happened to you after graduation? How'd you get my number? Why did you call me so suddenly? Why now? At three in the morning?" All of these questions, all in one breath. Wow, this girl is probably more than we give her credit for.

"We'll talk about that later. Tomorrow...do you have plans for tomorrow?"

The brunette tried recalling what day was tomorrow, and knowing it was Friday, she answered truthfully, "I have work from morning 'til 7:30 PM. After that, I'm free."

"Good. Meet me at our old place. At about 8 in the evening, got it?" The girl on the other line sounded urgent.

"Wait. I'll write it on paper, in case I forget," Mikan fumbled for a pen and a piece of scratch paper. She wrote: Meet Hotaru tomorrow at Old Place, 8 PM. Although the brown-eyed girl couldn't see her raven-haired friend, she was sure she had rolled her eyes at her. She could almost hear it....

"Got it."

Another roll of eyes. "Yeah, right," was the reply before adding, "Don't be late."

"Bye,_ for now_."

"Wait, Hotaru! What is this all about...?"

The phone went dead even before Mikan uttered a word. Sakura Mikan had to sigh. No matter how hard she tries to run away from her past, it always seems like it would always find a way to catch up.

Ladies and gentlemen, another addition to Mikan's chaotic life; Imai Hotaru. She was her bestfriend throughout High-school. Before, Hotaru was tagged as the "Ice Queen" mostly because of her icy stares and stoic, amethyst eyes. But Mikan knew more than that≈she knew that if you looked beyond the walls Hotaru built around herself, you would find out that she had a kind and loving, but frozen heart, waiting for the warmth of love. Despite their differences, their friendship was solid through the years, even becoming stronger through the test of time. Sure, they never ran out of things to argue about, but there was only one time that their precious friendship was deeply scarred.

During their Sophomore Year, Ruka started courting Hotaru. Back when the time that the emotionless bestfriend of hers knew all about her 'pathetic crush'≈as Hotaru had put it≈on the blond boy. One day, Mikan's anger bursted out of her that she started screaming words like "Traitor!" or "Bitchy Snake!" at her bestfriend. That was when everyone discovered that the Ice Queen had feelings. Mikan's spicy words stung, that for the first time, Hotaru sounded uncertain and anxious...with a distinguished emotion. All her hurt was probably poured out when she said, "I made a huge mistake. I was so cold, that my heart froze, so when you tried penetrate it, my heart shattered into pieces, " A lone tear fell from her cheeks. "I never knew it would hurt so much. Even now that the broken shards pricked my feet." She wiped away the crystal tear then....

......_she ran away_.

Being the dense person she is, the teenage brunette didn't really know what Hotaru's words meant. She did know one thing though; she had hurt her bestfriend. Bad. It took one week for Mikan to gather up the guts to apologize to her cold bestfriend. Hotaru forgave her easily, too easily. As if nothing ever happened between them. They both were resilient concerning the setback. The girl with chestnut brown locks told the emotionless teen that she wouldn't mind anymore if Ruka went out with Hotaru. After all, she wasn't his girlfriend. She had no right, and she was stating the facts. The purple-eyed girl shrugged the matter off and even said, "Like I care about _him_."

Neither of them knew they were lying to each other at that time.

After the big conflict, they came back to normal again. Daily squabbles, Hotaru avoiding Mikan's hugs, and that strong connection between them; even stronger. So strong that there came one time they treated each other more than friends. Wait a minute! Don't freak out just yet! They were sisters in their own secret worlds...

Mikan and Hotaru are two lucky persons to find such true friends in each other. They gave more meaning to the saying, "Opposites attract." Sadly, when they graduated, they've been busy with their own separate lives. They lost touch, but they always remained in each other's hearts.

The brunette was slowly slipping into unconsciousness. She fell asleep, still holding her cellphone up to her ear, while muttering, "_I knew you'd come back, Hotaru..."_

* * *

It was a fine day the next day. Birds chirping from a nearby tree, no signs of possible rain, or a humid day. Just temperate. The sun was still peeping through the thick haze of orange skies. Sakura Mikan voluntarily wakes up, for the record, in such an early time. With so much excitement over her appointment with her old bestfriend, she woke up feeling hyper. Did you ever experience waking up, and you're in a good mood like nothing bad's gonna happen to the day ahead of you? For our protagonist, today was one of those days.

She swiftly did all her morning rituals with more energy than needed. When it was all done, she practically skipped towards her car and sped off heading to her work place. The streets were almost empty≈you would spot one car in every other 10 minutes or so. She put on a Westlife CD, blasted up the volume, as she cruised along the highway. The first song made her bang her head with its bouncy tune as 'When You're Looking Like That' blared from her car speakers. She was glad she hadn't woken people up from their beds, or so she thought.

**6: 20 AM, Nogi Technologies Company**

Mikan parked her faded yellow pick-up car in an empty lot across the big building. She turns off the engine, ejects the CD, then gamboled towards the glass doors of the company she'd been working for. To her surprise, Anna Ummenomiya (sp?) was already behind the information desk, smiling while the brunette approached her. Right, she almost forgot that her pink-haired girl was best known for punctuality back in their Grade School days. Such a sharp memory she had, she boasted mentally.

Anna asked with an amused smile, "Mikan-chan, you look blooming today. What's up?"

"Everything's up! Hotaru just called yesterday! And we're meeting up after work," Mikan replied chirpily.

Confused as she was, the pinkette had a puzzled look on her face, "Um. Who's Hotaru??" The brunette smiled widely that it looked like her face was gonna rip into halves. Freaky. She said, "She's my high-school bestfriend."

**7:00 AM, Mikan's office, Nogi Technologies Company**

She opened her laptop the instant she sat on her swivel seat, a good 30 minutes ago. She was working on some presentation that her boss requested her to do. In result, she got strained eyes and a stiff neck. She had to cock her head to the side, hearing some sound of bones cracking, to ease the pain. When she looked up, she saw through her superior's office. Only to find a blond person, snoring lightly, his head on the table. Ruka?

A chuckle escaped from her lips. He slept in, she thought as an explanation. Mikan slowly shook the man to wake him up. His ocean-blue eyes flung open, and seeing the brunette's close proximity, he had to jerk up. Mikan laughed lightly at his panicked reaction. Why was he so fidgety all of the sudden? Maybe he's not a morning person? Huh. Probable.

The girl with amber eyes smiled widely and said, "Good morning!" Ruka gasped. "Mikan?! What are you doing in my house?" he hissed. Brown-haired girl smirked. "Are you even sure you're in your house?"

Looking around, the man saw the large glass window in at his back overlooked the city, there was no sign of home in the room, and most of all, there wasn't even a bed around. He soon realized that indeed, he wasn't home. He blushed in embarrassment. "Um...I..." he started to stammer helplessly. "Sorry," he sighed.

Mikan grinned even wider. "You were snoring," she teased.

"What?! I did not...." Ruka trailed off.

With a disgusted sound, she said, "You were even drooling." She made a face as if to prove her statement.

The blond boy's hand immediately went to his mouth, wiping it madly for any signs of icky liquid. The brunette guffawed. "I was joking!" She said after she finished laughing her head off. His eyes became lethal as he glared at her. Mikan giggled. "You're not a person who actually likes morning, are you?" she prodded. "You look awful. Try looking at yourself at the mirror, and see if it breaks."

His glare intensified, clearly not enjoying the jokes she'd been cracking. If she wasn't his bestfriend....

She was feeling playful today, but realizing he's not up for it, she frowned. She apologized then said, "Sorry for making you feel more horrible. I just feel....ecstatic today, that's all." She spun on her heels, her back facing to him. And she looked over her shoulder, now with a composed face, "Just call me when you need help. I'll be at my office." With that, she forced herself outside the room, away from her grumpy boss. When she was finally out the door, she heard a soft sigh from inside the room.

Mikan went back to her table, holding back the tears. He never changed, in her opinion. Every day, he became a different person. One day he was acting all nice, the next day, he was aloof and distant. The next.....she wouldn't know what to expect. Why was she affected by that little thing? The most obvious explanation was Ruka usually acted crabbier in the morning. But why was she getting all emotional? It's not like they had a relationship, she didn't have the right to snap on him about this.

This was one of the negative things about him. She knew she would encounter this every now and then. Yet, before, she had accepted it all willingly. She knew nobody was perfect. But what changed now? Is it because Natsume was included in the picture? And she would accidentally compare them with each other?

She saw her bright sun fade in the sky. A gloomy cloud took its place and it started to _rain_.....

Oblivious to her, tears were streaming down her eyes. Her brilliant smile was gone, and was turned upside down. Her energy dropped down to zero, to a negative level even, if it was possible. It was a such petty thing to upset her. Why did she have to cry? This was nothing compared when Ruka asked Hotaru out. This insignificant part of him would pale in comparison to his cluelessness about what her feelings she had for him by them. She was weak; that was the answer. This was karma striking, for secretly loving a man she knew would never loved her back. Then wait for someone to be there when she needed someone to love her. _Yes, that was it_.

The door to her executive's office opened so sudden, that it startled her and made her jump to her feet. In one quick movement, she wiped her tears away and pretended to be busy encoding something on her silvery-blue Apple Notebook. (a/n: Is there a model of Apple that matched my description? If not, then just imagine :-D) Out came Ruka.

Because of her outburst moments ago, she was still sniffing. Most likely, her eyes looked all puffy and red like she'd been crying all night. But she was determined to fool her boss for the sake of maybe some distance from him. From her unrequited love for him. She loved him so much that if he would ask her to lie, she would say, "I don't love you." Something she was avoiding to do. Denying her love for him would ache as much as hiding in the shadows while admiring him from afar.

On the other hand, the blond boy's intention was mainly to borrow his secretary's cellphone to call his grandma. He hadn't been in all night. His phone had ran out of battery, and he had no idea how much this worried the person who raised him. Maybe she already called a search party for him, assuming he'd been kidnapped because of his millions in the bank. Hahaha. He could already imagine the old lady, scolding the police for not doing their work and instead, just sitting pretty while eating donuts.....

The continuous sound of someone's fingers typing on the keyboard broke his trance. He noticed Mikan's condition, and frowned. "Were you...crying?" he reluctantly inquired the 'busy' girl. As if. She smiled, fake of course, and he knew that for the fact that it didn't reach her eyes. "Of course not," she reassured, but her shaking voice gave her away. "Why would I?" He scrutinized her face carefully, he was sure he had seen some flicker of anger mixed with sadness in her eyes. What did he do now? He knew nothing.

"Then why.....?" his questioning tone was almost out of suspicion, but he couldn't blame himself for that since he knew, she was hiding something from him. Not taking her eyes off the flat screen, she replied, " *sniff sniff* I cried in laughing because of the expression you had a while ago...." Finally, a genuine smile. She was still lying though, he noted.

His voice was critical when he asked, "Are you sure there isn't anything else?" Was Mikan starting to lose her trust to him? That she couldn't even say what was wrong? Long ago, it seemed like another lifetime, when both of them were like a transparent glass. They knew what they were feeling, the pain, the emotions they shared. It wasn't that hard to express it when they're together. But now, he thought maybe because he didn't take notice of that glass anymore, that moss started to outgrow it, and the dirt accumulated through time was enough to cover that glass. They needed a general cleaning. That's it, that's all he needed to restore their transparency with each other. WRONG.

Mikan looked at him fully this time, stopped typing, stared straight right through his eyes, and spat, "Do you care?"

Did he care? The hell he did! She's his bestfriend. Well, was, anyway. He never really realized how far they grew from each other. Just now. "Of course, I do! What makes you think I don't?" was his shocked response. His question came by as a reflex. The brunette fixed her stare back to the laptop, and started tapping on the keyboard once again. She quietly said, "Go ask yourself."

What did he do to deserve this? He simply wanted to borrow her cellphone, but then he got worried because she looked like she was crying, and now he gets this? What's the drama all about?!

"Mikan," he whispered. She didn't respond. "Mikan," he repeated. "What!" she hissed, and looked up from the screen. He laughed impishly, "Hehe. Can I borrow your phone? My phone is off, and I forgot to bring a charger so...." he didn't finish his plea anymore, he was too mortified to do so. She glowered at him before she got her bag, and fumbled for something in there.

Ten minutes later, the girl's bag already spilled all its contents. The stupid cellphone was found at the bottom of Mikan's bag. She seemed embarassed by this too, but tried to keep up her 'tough girl' attitude around him. She could find someplace where she can scold herself......

She handed him her mobile phone awkwardly, and went back to work. While Ruka was dialing a number, Mikan sighed inwardly. Stupid me, she thought. He just came out to hitch a call, then you go spitting hurtful words at him. Genius. She was blaming it all to herself again. The truth was, she wasn't really busy doing stuff in her laptop. She just had to put that charade as an excuse to ignore him. And whenever she typed something, she would eventually end up typing, "I hate you." or "I Love ?" So maybe that was something to be busy about. After a conversation on the phone, Ruka returned the phone to her. When she refused to accept it, typing her fingers away, he decided to just put it in the table instead. He said, "I'm going home for an hour. Take care of everything here while I'm gone." Afterwards, he was headed back home. She wasn't looking forward for that.

The blond executive did come back after an hour. But she spent the rest of the day giving him cold shoulders, deadly glares, and dirty looks, like he was some kind of a WANTED criminal. He was affected by this, but in his bewilderment, he wanted not to make the problem go from worse to worst. He'd had enough.

**7:20 PM, Ruka's office, Nogi Technologies Company**

"I'm going," Mikan said blankly as she entered Ruka's bureau. He glanced at the Timex watch in his wrist and found out that it was 10 minutes before it's called a day. "Why so early?" he wondered aloud. She simply replied, "I have an appointment. I'm not supposed to be late so..." her eyes were distant, as if remembering a far-away memory. "I've got to go." With a wave of her hand, she was out of the room.

Ruka was left there feeling...abandoned? He couldn't find a valid reason for feeling betrayed all of the sudden. He didn't like being left by her friends, especially the best ones. But it's more than that. What if Mikan had a date? No. Did he just think of that? Yes. She said appointment, did she? Precisely. So it couldn't be. That man better take care of her or else...wait, why did he care? Maybe...it's what an overprotective brother would do?

_Of course, nothing more_, he tried convincing himself with no help.

**7:45 PM, On the Road**

HONK! HONK!!!

A certain brunette gets stuck in traffic because of some stupid vehicular accident. The queue was long; longer than you can imagine. She blamed the officials for having difficulties in towing away a ten-wheeler truck that was causing all this commotion. "Ugh! I'd be late. Again." Mikan muttered in her seat. Then, after scanning through her words, she realized she had used the wrong term. She was late, as always.

Ever since, she would always be late for a meeting. Now she wondered, do accidents happen on purpose? And did they happen for her to be late? Come to know that, she even went out the office early, though another reason for that was you-know-who, but this came up! She was destined to be late for the rest of her life. Apparently, she's late for the love train, too. It seems like she had been left all behind. The idea of romance should've been included in her life long before she got herself into this spider's web of a mess.

So she had to make a snap decision. About two options she had in her crazy mind. First; leave her car on the road, run all the way to Hotaru, then come back and get the car. She assumed it won't take that long to talk. Funny how this thought came from a very loquacious person. Second; wait for the road to clear up, then drive as fast as she can to the Old Place. But the second option had its risk; it could cause a traffic she's currently in. Accidents can happen. Mikan shuddered involuntarily. That's, well, scary. The first option, then......

**8:30 PM, "Old Place"**

An emotionless girl with short black hair sat in the corner of a run-down Ice Cream Shop. She'd been waiting for half an hour already. Still no sign of the perky brunette. She looked expectantly at the door, hopeful that Mikan would burst in it any sooner. But she was damn bored, so she worked up her mind for some moments with herself.

This was the place she had met Sakura Mikan who, although she didn't know how it happened, eventually became her bestfriend. They went here during hot, sunny days. But they didn't come here for ice cream, which was the shop's specialty. Specifically, her brown-haired friend liked to eat what was inside the green box with pink ribbons on the table. Howalons. A cotton-like candy with a milky-cream filling. It never failed to bring a smile to Mikan's lips everytime she devoured it like a mad beast. Seeing that, it made the stoic girl happy inside too.

Both of them were too lazy to utter the actual name of the place. At the entrance, was a big neon sign saying, "Sugar & Spice, and Everything Nice". To make it short, they called it "Our Old Place". It was a perfect place to relive memories of the past. It would be the very place where she'd walk back in her life, too, for an unknown purpose in the future.

The minutes passed slowly, as the lady's impatience bothered her that she didn't want to think about anything anymore. She swear if Mikan didn't come up in a second--

"HOTARU!!!!"

Some of the store's customers whipped toward the direction of the scream. There by the door, panting like she just ran in the Olympics, was a girl with messed up hair and beads of sweat rolled down her face. "Mikan," the amethyst-eyed girl murmured in recognition. Despite the grown height, and without the pigtailed hairstyle, her bestfriend still looked recognizable. That high-pitched voice screaming her name sure rang a bell for Hotaru.

The brown-haired girl blushed, mortified. Then the people who had seen her grand entrance went back to their own businesses, except some really nosy people. Mikan sighed in relief, glad that she had made it before her Hotaru decided to leave, then scrambled towards the impatient-looking girl sitting by the corner.

"H-Hotaru?" she squeaked. She's had enough embarrassment for a day, she can't stand a scolding from her very bestfriend. She managed to survive the long run to the shop she always went to as a child. She was even grateful she was still alive. But being clumsy as she is, she always tripped on a rock or something, or sometimes her own feet. As evidence, she got three bruises in her right leg and five in the left. Not to mention the scars in both her arms.

The raven-haired girl twitched an eyebrow. "Sit down._ Now_." Her demand, although said in a tone devoid of emotion, sounded dangerous and deadly. She sat obediently on a vacant seat across Hotaru. An uncanny silence was shared for a moment, but not until Mikan tried to explain her tardiness. "I'm really, really, really sor--" But Hotaru raised her hand to make her stop talking. "I decided to meet up with for three reasons," she started.

Although the day was ending, Mikan's day certainly wasn't. And with that starting sentence, the brunette knew it'd be a very long time before she gets back to her car.

* * *

And the chapter ends there. Sorry if characters in my story babble on and on, because it's my fault. I've got a lot on my mind and I really needed to release it. Sometimes I got carried away, you know. I hated how I ended this chapter, but I hope this gave you some juicy information to use in the future chaps. The next chap is supposed to be Luna's explanation. But this chap had been too long that I divided this into two chapters. Again, I apologize if my story bores you. I really am serious about my writing. And it's the beginning of summer, classes just ended yesterday for me.

PS: SOMEBODY, please review something. ANYTHING. I really am interested to hear your opinions of this story. Tell me if I suck or I rock. Don't be afraid to push that button down there, 'coz I won't bite. Well, only for those who are good to me. Lmao.

"Bye, for now." -Hotaru

**[[[NatsuMikan383 is signing out]]]**


	9. Chapter 9

**Huh. This was published a little late than planned. Tuesday; I just had to go to school for some clearance signing issues so I didn't really have the time (and the computer or laptop to work with) to continue this. Sorry, okay? But I'm probably gonna do it again so no worries.**

**NatsuMikan383 is signing in!! :-)**

**

* * *

**

_**Rules are made for breaking....Nothing ventured, nothing gained  
**_~~some lines from the song 'Can't Lose What You Never Had' by Westlife~~

* * *

**I'll be there **

**Chapter Nine: Uncertainty**

"I decided to meet up with for three reasons," she started.

Although the day was ending, Mikan's day certainly wasn't. And with that starting sentence, the brunette knew it'd be a very long time before she gets back to her car.

"First and foremost," Hotaru continued. "I heard you work for that Nogi as her secretary. Second, I know his cousin is Hyuuga and he didn't recognize you--"

"Wait. How did you know all of that? Are you stalking me?"

The raven-haired girl smirked. "After all those years, you still don't know me? I have my sources, you know," she stated rather bluntly but with a glint of mischief in her eyes. The brunette narrowed her eyes at her bestfriend. Pfft. Did Hotaru really think she was still the dense little Mikan before? Well, she's not_ that_ dense 'coz she knows that someone had been spying on her all along...

"And the third reason is?" Mikan asked eagerly. _I wonder what happened to my car?_

The girl answered, "My assistant just filed a leave, and I personally want you to assist me tomorrow in a lunch meeting with my clients." Sweatdrop. "But what's that have to do with the first and second reasons?" The auburn-haired girl inquired. "You'll see..." Hotaru muttered.

"Um. Hotaru-san, can you tell me first what your job was?" Can you say random? How Mikan-like, right?

Without flitting an eye, the stoic girl replied, "I'm a wedding planner." Glancing at her wrist watch, she stood up abruptly and she said, "I'll pick you up at your flat around 11 in the morning. Wear something semi-formal, and don't wear a skirt. This is a business meeting." Mikan took note of those in her mind, hoping she wouldn't forget it by the time she reaches home. "This time, don't be late," was her bestfriend's last statement before taking off.

Only when the amethyst-eyed girl was out of her sight that everything they talked about sinked in her Pentium 1 mind. Just then, she noticed a green box with fancy pink ribbons around it on the table. Howalons. Suddenly, she felt like she would drool. But then a revelation hit her.

**HOTARU'S A WEDDING PLANNER?**

* * *

Because she was in a daze, Mikan didn't know how much time had passed since Hotaru left her. She seem to snap out of it when the owners of the shop kicked her out, saying they were closing down for the night. Luckily, she got the gift from Hotaru and took it in her hands. Afterwards, she had to walk a long kilometer before she reached the street she left her car. But the night was deep, and she didn't see a single car around. So somebody should've towed it away. Better that than being carjacked.

Now she had to walk all the way to her apartment, after running a kilometer to the Ice Cream Shop and back? Man, what a long day. And an exhausting one too. She didn't know where she would go so she would end up to her home. She was lost in two ways. She was wandering into uncharted streets. And then she was unsure of her feelings about Ruka and Natsume. She didn't know who to turn to, left or right? first love or unrequited crush? to doubt...or to love?

All she could see was now darkness, darkness, and more darkness. She couldn't even see the street she was walking into. Maybe she was half-conscious, or she fell asleep. Still, she kept walking, seeing only black. But like a light at the end of the tunnel, she saw a vehicle's headlights blinding her eyesight. She practically knocked some sense into her and waved her hands vigorously and shouting words like, "Help!" or "I'm here!"

She thought she was saved, but when the car merely passed by her, the fury that bubbled in her stomach was yanked her fully awake. "Hey! I'm here, you heartless creature!" she helplessly yelled, trying to catch the driver's attention. The car was some feet away from her now. When the car didn't halt, tears started to fall from her eyes.

This is the end of her. She'd be left here, in the middle of nowhere, and starve to death. And the birds will just eat her corpse and she'd disappear from the face of the Earth, and nobody would know. Or maybe...she could survive for a couple of weeks. She still had the Howalons Hotaru gave her. She can take a bite each day and maybe some car would pass by her within those days. She never thought she'd be this thankful to her bestfriend.

All her predictions shattered when the car skidded into a stop. She was over thinking again, wasn't she?

So she ran towards her savior, already saying her thank yous and "You saved me!". By the time she got to the car, she was panting. The distance between her and the car was long, and she never noticed. Only when she neared the car, she noticed the familiarity. A shiny red convertible. Is it really him....? But how many red convertibles in Japan are there? Hm. Maybe it's just a coincidence. She reached the driver seat and confirmed her assumptions.

_Ugh. It's Natsume The Jerk-slash-Playboy-slash-Liar who forgot everything about me_, Mikan thought.

The ruby-eyed boy stared at the stranded stranger. She had chestnut-brown hair and deep chocolate orbs. She was quivering in cold, since she wasn't wearing a sweater. Somehow, she looked like someone he knew his whole life. Those beautiful brown eyes....

They just gaped at each other for a minute, both shocked at two different things. He decided to break the silence. "What, are you gonna stare at me or are you gonna get in my car so I can help you get home?" his words sounded arrogant, but for Mikan, it was to snap her out of her reverie. She really is spacing out more often these days....

The brunette's eyes regained some color and she spoke, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Before she climbed at the shotgun seat. Her sudden cheerfulness annoyed the raven-haired boy, but he ignored it and let her be. He looked at her and asked like he didn't care, "Where do you live?" Looking straight ahead, she replied, "It's down there in an apartment at Blue Avenue."

"Alright," he mumbled before he sped off.

The ride was long, and the silence of the night and the eeriness of the surroundings at sundown really creeped out Mikan. One conversation can't hurt, right? "Um. So...." She started stammering. What did she want to talk about again? "Why are you still out on the road in this time of the night?" Well, that sounded wrong.

A light chuckle escaped from Natsume's lips. "You know, I should be the one asking you that," he said, clearly amused. The light from the street lamp posts which illuminated the girl's face made him see the pink tint in her cheeks. "I visited my fiancee. Her house is blocks away from that old Ice Cream Shop."

The word fiancee didn't escape her ears. Her heart sank, and her mood was getting more depressing every minute. She decided to keep it light and casual as she asked, "That one called Sugar & Spice and Everything Nice?" He glanced at her then his eyes went back on the road, saying, "Yeah."

"I was there, earlier today. I left my car at that highway where you saw me, and ran all the way to the Ice Cream Shop," she explained. "I was meeting up with some old friend there. When we finished talking, I went to get my car back but it turned out to be not there. I thought I was gonna be stuck here forever before you came." For a second there, she sounded like she was babbling.

Pure gratitude flashed in the girl's eyes, which Natsume noticed. He examined her in the corner of his eye. After taking in all her features, he figured out why she seemed so familiar. He recognized the blue blazer with a white blouse underneath and her knee-length navy blue skirt, the uniform for females in Ruka's company. She was working in his cousin's company! That makes sense.

He stole another glance, and saw that she was shaking. Luckily, he was wearing a jacket. He shrugged off his jacket with ease and handed it to her. "Here," he said. She accepted it willingly and wrapped it in her small frame. "T-thanks," she stuttered. He nodded, and continued to observe the stranger.

The auburn-haired girl noticed the boy's probing. "What are you looking at?" she blurted. "Can you please keep your eyes on the street before we get into any accident?" He focused his stare back to where he was driving. His eyes were now distant, when suddenly he clutched his hand on his forehead, massaging it slowly. This worried her.

Accident. Why does that word seem to have so many memories attached to it? His mind went back to the accident he had a month ago. When he woke up, he had a feeling that he forgot something vital, a piece in the puzzle of his complicated life. But the moment he saw the necklace Luna Koizumi was wearing, he felt like it was the missing link to his past. And that clue led him to her. He thought that if he had her whole, he was complete. But why did he feel like she was..._hollow_?

Natsume had become quiet since she asked that question. It's as if he was struggling to remember a forgotten memory. She was about to ask what's wrong when he said, "I remember you now. You're that girl in that car and the elevator." He smirked. HE FREAKIN' SMIRKED! "In fact, yes, I am. But I didn't really plan on having that first impression on you," she shot back. "Impression?" He arched a brow. "Oh. The impression that you were after me?"

Mikan reddened. "No, you jerk! I'm totally NOT after you!" _The nerve of this guy..._

"Okay," he said, nodding. "I got that." Grrr. She wanted to hit him. She wanted to punch him in the face and strangle him to death. But, know what? She can't! "Could you just...shut up?!" She fumed. He raised one of his hands in the air and said, "I'm shutting up now." The brunette glared at him. "Good."

The rest of the ride was spent in silence. When they arrived, Mikan mumbled "Thanks again" before hopping off the vehicle. "Wait!" a voice stopped her in her tracks. It was Natsume's voice. "Yeah?" she turned around and went face to face with him. Wow, he got out the car that fast? The black-haired boy said, "Attend my wedding with Ruka. Just tell him I invited you, too." This shocked her. Is he kidding? He had no idea it hurt to see the man she waited for so long slip away from her grasp...forever. "When is it?" the question slipped from her lips.

"It's in the 20th of December," he prompted. She looked hesitant as she avoided any eye contact with him. "I...I'm not in town during Christmas Season. I'm going to visit my family. I'm really sorry i-if I can't go," she said. Too bad, he thought. But why did he have a feeling that the girl had to be in his wedding day? An idea sprung up to his mind before he could think of an answer. Natsume handed her a card, and said, "Give me a call in case you change your mind."

Oh, no. She was thinking of a way to get away from him and now he's offering her some kind of contact? Mikan reached for the card shakily. When she took the card in his hand, he caged her hand in his. "I'll be waiting," he said before pulling back his hand, snickered at her blushing face, and got on his ragtop. After that, he was gone.

* * *

The brunette collapsed on her bed, thinking about how her day had been a rollercoaster ride. After Natsume gave her his calling card, her mind had been flying into space once again. She didn't even remember entering her apartment. First, she was feeling a little sulky for Ruka being crabby in the morning when before, it won't even bother her. Then, Hotaru miraculously had known everything about what was going on with her life when she herself had no clue. Then, she got stuck in the middle of the road and Natsume came to the rescue and got invited to his damn wedding.

You wanna know what's worst? She had no idea what happened to her precious car. If it was towed away, then she'd get into trouble 'coz she was short on money now and she still didn't get her month's salary. If it was robbed, then her gasoline problem will be solved but her Mom would kill her. That piece of junk that's a poor excuse of a car was sentimental to her family. It's their first car, her parents worked hard to buy it. When she inherited it, she promised to take care of the memories it brought along with it. So it's still important and she lost it in a blink of an eye.

She curled herself into a ball, and slowly drifted into sleep, tried to vanish the thoughts away from her mind. Tomorrow would be a new day to start worrying over her problems and start fixing them, one by one. She slept, without knowing that she was still wearing Natsume's jacket.

* * *

**Yay to me! I finally finished this chap before stepping into Luna's dirty little shoes. I've been preparing myself for the next chapter to explain to my confused readers why everything was a mess. To start with, when the witch entered the picture, everything went out of balance. So that's kinda the idea of the next chapter. A secret from me to you; I'm an insolent-thinker so it's not gonna be hard for me to write a mean character's point of view. It's still in a third-person format, though.**

**Stay tune! And R-E-V-I-E-W. Please?**

**NatsuMikan383 is signing out!!!**


End file.
